A long-time collaborator with Ingmar Bergman as an actor, scriptwriter and stage director, Josephson successfully branched out into international roles in the 1980s, in such films as Philip Kaufman's "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" and Istvan Szabo's "Hanussen" (both 1988), and notably as the anguished protagonist of Andrei Tarkovsky's "The Sacrifice" (1986). Erland Josephson's work with Bergman dates back to the late 1930s when they began working together in the theatre. He went on to appear in eight Bergman films, most notably "Cries and Whispers" (1972), in which he was the doctor, "Scenes From a Marriage" (1974), in which he was the cheating husband in what was originally a TV miniseries re-edited for theatrical release, and "Fanny and Alexander" (1983), in which he was a mystical Jew in a small Swedish town. Josephson also followed Bergman as head of the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Sweden in 1966, and stayed in the post until 1975. His first screenplay (written with Bergman) was "All These Women" (1964).Despite his renown in Sweden as a stage and screen actor, Josephson did not venture into international films until 1977 with Liliana Cavani's "Beyond Good and Evil/Al di la del bene e del...

A long-time collaborator with Ingmar Bergman as an actor, scriptwriter and stage director, Josephson successfully branched out into international roles in the 1980s, in such films as Philip Kaufman's "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" and Istvan Szabo's "Hanussen" (both 1988), and notably as the anguished protagonist of Andrei Tarkovsky's "The Sacrifice" (1986). Erland Josephson's work with Bergman dates back to the late 1930s when they began working together in the theatre. He went on to appear in eight Bergman films, most notably "Cries and Whispers" (1972), in which he was the doctor, "Scenes From a Marriage" (1974), in which he was the cheating husband in what was originally a TV miniseries re-edited for theatrical release, and "Fanny and Alexander" (1983), in which he was a mystical Jew in a small Swedish town. Josephson also followed Bergman as head of the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Sweden in 1966, and stayed in the post until 1975. His first screenplay (written with Bergman) was "All These Women" (1964).

Despite his renown in Sweden as a stage and screen actor, Josephson did not venture into international films until 1977 with Liliana Cavani's "Beyond Good and Evil/Al di la del bene e del male". His first English-language effort was "Saving Grace" (1986), in which he was in support of Tom Conti as a Pope out among the people. Josephson was better utilized in "Control", a 1987 HBO made-for-cable film, in which was one of the subjects of a psychological experiment. In "Prospero's Books" (1991), Josephson was Gonzalo in Peter Greenaway's revision of Shakespeare's "The Tempest." Josephson also joined Ingrid Thulin in co-directing "One and One", a 1978 short film, and he has written numerous Swedish films, as well as novels, poetry and plays. American audiences got a chance to see him on stage in a 1988 production of "The Cherry Orchard" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Narrated the Swedish version of Michal Leszczylowski's documentary "Directed By Andrei Tarkovsky"

1988:

American stage debut, "The Cherry Orchard"; production presented at the Brooklyn Academy of Music

2000:

Portrayed a screenwriter and director named 'Bergman' in "Faithless," a screenplay by Ingmar Bergman; film directed by Liv Ullmann

2003:

Portrayed former German chancellor Franz von Papen in "The Good Pope: Pope John XXIII/Il papa buono"

2003:

Final film with Bergman, "Saraband" opposite Ullman

2006:

Final film appearance, "Wellkåmm to Verona"

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Education

Stockholm University:
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Notes

Jospehson is the author of eight novels, several plays, an anthology of poems, and scripts for stage, screen and radio

"Chekhov is very important in Sweden; there's some sort of affinity between the Russian and the Swedish soul. Chekhov is very concerned with the light in the same way that Bergman is so sensitive to the light in his films. The way Chekhov describes the light coming down on the cherry orchard, it seems to me to be a very Nordic light, which in the morning is very clear and beautiful." --Erland Josephson in The New York Times, 1988.

"I'm too impatient to wait for things to happen to me. If I should be out of work for two months I would go crazy. So as soon as I'm free I start writing. While it is necessary for me to write, I know that if I go too long without acting on the stage I don't feel well. Acting has a strong sensual quality that I get such a ... you say 'kick' in America? It's a fantastic profession in that way." --Josephson in The New York Times, 1988.